Spooling-machine



(No M d m 3 Sheets-Sheet I".

J. W. FOSTER;

SPOOLING MAGHINE.

No. 514,884. Patented Feb. 13), 1894} aaaaaaaaaaaaa c.

(No ModeL') 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. W. FOSTER. SPOOLING MACHINE.

No. 514,884. Patented Feb. 13, 1894].

(No Model.) '3 Sheets-Sheet 3. J.W, POSTER.

SPO-OLING MACHINE N0.514 .884. Patented Feb.13,1894'.

i W///////// ///%J NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN WV. FOSTER, OF WESTFIELD, MASSACHTZTSETTS.

SPOOLlNG-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 514,884, dated February13, 1894.

Application filed April 25, 1893- Serial No. 471,763. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN W. FOSTER, f Westfield, county of Hampden,State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Spool1ng-Machines, of which the following descriptlon, in connection with theaccompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters and figures onthe drawings representing like parts.

In textile manufacture threads of cotton, silk, and of other fibers inform of skeins have subsequently to be wound into more compact form inorder that the thread may be used in different manufactures or machines,and most frequently this skein thread is wound on the cones to formconical masses of thread, the cones being used inquill-winding machines,and 1n knitting and other machines. These skeins of thread are commonlystretched over swlfts or reels and inpractice it has been customary ingetting the thread into conical masses to first wind the thread upon aspool and then redraw or rewind the thread from the spool upon'a cone,thus requiring two handlings in order to get the thread into the form ofa conical mass. This method has been practiced because heretofore it hasbeen considered impracticable to satisfactorily and economically windthe thread directly from the skein upon a cone, and chiefly because ofthe differences in the diameter of the cone and the consequentvariations in the amount of thread'required to reach around the cone atits large and at its small end. It will be obvious that differentportions of the surface of a conical shell mounted on a journal rotatingat a certain speed will run at different surface speeds according to thediameter of the conical shell, and inasmuch as the speed ofrotation ofthe swift or reel is determined by the strain of the rotating cone onthe thread, the speed of rotation of the swift must consequently varyand a varying amount of thread will be let ofi. In my efforts toovercome this difficulty in cone winding so as to make it possible towind thread, by which term,l mean to include any thread of any material, directly from the skein upon a conical shell, I have devisedWhat I shall call a take up or slack-thread controller, which I have soconstructed as to enable it to take care of all Y the slack threadincident to the winding operation and due to variations in the diameterof the conical shell between its large and its small ends; and l have sodevised said takeup or slack-thread controller that it will offectuallycare for and control the thread and insure the continuance of theWinding operation, and I have also devised said device that it throughintermediate devices will release a drop whenever a tangle or knotoccurs in the skein which would tend to break the thread or prevent theproper rotation of the swift or reel containing the skein. Q

My apparatus has also been so devised that it will act upon theoccurrence of a knot of improper size and effect the stopping of thewinding operation until the defect has been removed, and said devicewill also act in case the thread breaks.

While my invention is most important and valuable in cone winding, yetit has very material advantages when used t'or winding thread from theskein onto a cylindrical shell or tube, for in use, the thread, whateverthe external shape of the shell, is wound after the manner designatedunder the term cross-winding so that large masses of thread put onto theshells may be drawn off the ends thereof without rotating the threadmasses when such practice is desired.

Figure 1,in side elevation showsasufticient portion of a spoolingmachine with my improvements'added to enable my invention to beunderstood; Fig. 2, a portion of the grooved drum for rotating thewinding roll or driving the mass of thread being wound. Fig. 3, is anenlarged detail of the track audits supporting frame, and thestop-trigger and slack trigger, viewing the same as in Fig. 1, butenlarged. Fig. 4, is a view of the devices in Fig. 3, looking from theleft. Fig. 5,is a view looking at Fig. 3 from the rear side. Figs. 6 and7, are details to be referred to, one showing the stop-trigger and theother the slacktrigger in plan view. Fig. 8, shows the remainder of thespindle carrier broken oif from Fig. 1. Fig. 9, is a top or plan View ofthe front end of the spindle carrier showing the spindle as adapted tohold a shell of conical shape; and Fig. 10, an enlarged detail showingthespindle shaped to receive a tubular shell.

The frame-work A is and may be as usual in spooling machines, it beingof suitable shape to sustain the working parts.

The machine in practice will or may have at each side a suitablelongitudinal shaft a, provided at suitable distances apart with likedrums a, one for each thread mass to be wound, each drum having suitablecrossing grooves e see Fig. 2, in which enters asuitable foot or shoe Z)of a suitable traverse guide I) adapted to slide back and forth on aguide bar 12 as the said drum is rotated.

Each rotating drum a has resting directly upon it a winding roll 24:which is rotated by the drum so long as the roll contacts therewith. Thewinding roll acts to rotate a spindle marked din Figs. 1 to 9, itcarrying, as supposed in said figures a conical shaped shell 1),preferably of paper, upon which the thread 3 being delivered from theskein is wound. The spindle d has journals or ends mounted in hearingsin a suitable carrier 0 but partially represented in Fig. 1, theremaining part being, however, represented in Fig. 8, said carrier beingso mounted as to be able to rise as the mass of thread wound on theshell increases in diameter. The journals of the winding roll rest insuitable bearings 25 at the upper ends of stands 26 attached to thestringer A.

The carrier 0 see Fig. 8, has a shank c which enters, as shown, a socketpiece 0 pivoted at c on an upright erected on the lower frame-work, asuitable screw 0 permitting the yoke part of the carrier supporting thespindle d, to be tipped more or less, as when the spindle is to carry aconical shell, as b, best represented in Fig, 9, but as stated, while myapparatus is very essential for winding thread in conical masses, yet itmay be used to great advantage to wind threads upon cylindrical papertubes or shells, as represented in modification Fig. 10, wherein thecylindrical shell is marked t, the spindle being marked (1 it havingcylindrical collars 25 rather than conical collars (Z as represented inFig. 9.

9 represents a lever having at its inner end a lifting devicef, which,when moved vertically, as will be described, acts upon the journals ofthe winding roll 24 and lifts said roll from its bearings 25 so as tobreak the contact of the said roll with the drum, and thus stop therotation of the roll and also the winding operation of the thread uponthe shell carried by the spindle.

The stringer A? constituting a part of the frame-work has a stud A fromwhich depends a leg 9 pivoted at 9 said leg having pivoted upon it at ornear its lower end at g a leg lever 71, said leg lever having at itsouter end a suitable projection, as 3, above which is suspended aeo-operating drop 7t, represented as a lever pivoted at 28. The lever gat its upper side between suitable projections, is provided with a camface, and the lower end of the leg or a part carried thereby presses onsaid cam face during the vibrations of said leg, as will be described,about its pivot g. The inner end of the leg lever h when elevated or putinto its abnormal position by the falling of the drop h will be struckby one of the projections m on a ratchet wheel connected with a shaft mhaving its journals mounted in suitable bearings of a stand m suitablyattached to the frame-work, the said shaft in practice being rotated asprovided for in United States Patent No. 40%,831, granted tome June 11,1889.

Many of the parts thus far specifically referred to by letter, such asthe drum, the winding roll, the spindle-carrier, the lever g and liftingdevice are substantially the same as represented in my United StatesPatent No. 499,668, granted June 13, 1893.

I will now specifically describe the improvements which I have added tothe parts thus briefly referred to. The frame-work has upon it atsuitable intervals suitable uprights or stands A adapted to sustainasuitable swift or reel A to contain askein of thread, silk, or othermaterial to be wound upon the shell of conical or other form. Theframe-work has attached to it by suitable bolts suitable stands 19constituting bearings for a rod or beam D to which I have secured bysuitable screws 13 or otherwise the foot of a frame 14. The frame 14supports a track 15, herein represented as a round rod held in a socket16, the said track serving to guide a take-up or slackthread controller,shown as a carriage 17, having a suitable stud 18, preferably ofvitreous material, under or partially about which passes the thread 1 onits way from the reel to the traverse b and the spindle (l or the shellthereon which is to receive the thread, the said shell used in Fig.1,being supposed to be conical as represented in Fig. 9, the shell inFig. 1 being partially filledwith thread so that itis not visible. Thecarriage 17 has a finger 19 which contacts, with the smooth guidingsurface 20 of the track frame when the carriage is being moved up anddown on the track for distances suitable to control such slack threadsas will enable the machine, all other things being equal, to be runproperly. The surface 20 near its upper end is, however, curvedupwardly, as at 21, so as to let the said finger 19 pass about theportion 22 on the track frame, and following said surface, owing to thepull of the thread upon the stud 18 due to a knot or obstruction in thethread at the swift or reel, cause said finger to pass under the stoptrigger 23 shown as a latch pivoted at 24 on apart of the track frame,said fingerin such position and under such circumstances acting to lift.the stop trigger into the dotted line position Fig. 5, and cause theshoulder 25 of the stop trigger to be lifted oif a toe 26 at the upperend of the drop it pivoted at 28 on the track frame thus releasingsaiddrop enablingit to falland strike the pin 3 at the end of the leg leverIt, thus lifting the inner or rear end thereof and putting it into thepath of movement of one of the teeth mof the ratchet or stop wheel msaid tooth in the further rotation of the wheel acting on one end ofsaid leg lever to swing the leg to cause the same, or a part carrled byit, to act on the cam surface at the upper side of the lever g and turnit about its fulcrum g thus moving the lifting device f upwardly andcausing it, acting against the winding roll 24, to lift it from contactwith the rotating drum a, such break of contact immediately stopping therotation of the spindle d. To enable the winding operation, however, tobe stopped in case the thread breaks or becomes too slack, I haveconnected to the stoptrigger 23 a rod 30 which is extended throughsuitable guides 31, 32, said rod acting upon v one end of a slack-threadtrigger 33 pivoted at 34: on the track frame, the opposite end of saidlever being herein shown as entering a slot 35 in the track 15, saidslot being convenient as it enables the lever to be so located as not tobe strained laterally out of place, and so that it will always be Withinthe range of movement of the carriage 17. In case the thread breaks itno longer supports the carriage 17, and as a result, it drops andstrikes the slack-trigger, turns it from its full into its dotted lineposition Fig. 5, and through the rod 30 lifts the stop trigger,releasing, as before, the drop lever 27. I prefer in practice torestrain in a measure the upward movement of the carriage 17 under thepull of the thread coming from the swift or reel, so that certainly asafe amount of strain may be put upon the thread, to thus aid inovercoming any adhesion of one layer of thread to another before thecarriage will rise far enough to swing aboutthe track as described andlift the slack-trigger to effect the stopping of the winding mechanism,and to efiect this result, I have added a spring 36 which may be ofindia rubber. It will be understood that the traverse b' guides thethread y and that the said traverse, moved by the crossing groovesrather widely distributed, causes the thread to be laid in long spirals,one layer crossing another diagonally layer after layer. A cross woundmass of thread, such as herein provided for, may readily be deliveredfrom the thread mass of whatever form without rotating the thread mass.

Prior to my invention I am not aware that thread has been wound directlyfrom skeins into a conical mass or upon a conical shell, or, in fact, ashell ofany kind, and while I have shown one form of take-up orslack-thread controller which operates well to accommodate the maximumand minimum slack of the thread when winding the latter from the skeinsupon different portions of the conical shell, yet this invention is notlimited to the exact form of take-up or slack-thread controller shown,nor to the exact shape shown for the triggers, as it will be obvious tothose skilled in the art that other forms of such devices might beemployed to effect the same result without departingfrom the spirit andscope of my invention.

Instead of the particular drum herein shown, I may substitute as anequivalent the form of drum shown in my United States Patent No.499,665, granted June 13, 1893, and so also the spindle and the cone orconical shell upon which the thread is wound may be substantially as inmy United States Patent No. 499,667, granted June 13, 1893. I

This invention is not limited to the exact form of carrier shown for thecone, nor to the exact form of traverse mechanism for laying the threadfrom end to end of the cone in long spirals.

The lever g, the leg, the leg lever, the ratchet wheel, and the dropconstitute what may,for brevity be designated as stop-motion devices,but instead of the particular devices shown, I may use any other usualor suitable stop .motion devices intermediate the stoptrigger and thedevices for rotattng a shell of Whatever form, said stop motion devices,when acted upon by or through the take-up or slackthread controllerstopping the winding of the thread on the drum.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent,

1. A spooling machine containing the following instrumentalities, vizz-aspindle to carry a shell to receive thread; a carrier for said spindle;devices to rotate the said spindle; a suitable swift to hold a skein ofthread; a stationary track; a take-up or slack-thread controllersupported by and adapted to slide on said track; a stop trigger adaptedto be acted upon by or through the said take-up or slack-threadcontroller on the occurrence of obstruction to the proper delivery ofthe thread from the skein, and stop motion mechanism between saidstop-trigger and the device for rotating the said spindle, to operate,substantially as described.

2. In a machine for winding thread from the skein into cone form, adrop, a stop-trigger to keepit in its normal condition; and an inclinedfixed track or guide; combined with atakeup or slack-thread controllerlongitudinally movable on said track or guide and adapted to take up orcontrol the slack thread presented in the coning of the thread due todifierences in diameter of the cone from one to its other end andadapted to act upon said trigger to stop the winding operation when theproper delivery of the thread is obstructed,

substantially as set forth.

3. In a machine to wind thread from a skein directly upon a shell, thefollowing instrumentalities, viz:a reel; a track; a take-up V orslack-thread controller; a stop-trigger; a drop;

a support for the spindle, combined with a spindle adapted to holdashell for the reception of the thread coming directly from the skein,the combination being and operating, substantially as described.

4. In a machine to wind thread from the skein directly upon a shell, areel; a track; a take-up or slack-thread controller; astop-trigger; adrop; a leg lever adapted to be moved by said drop when released, asupport for the leg lever, a lifting lever, means to move the leg leverand cause the lifting movement of the lifting lever; a drum providedwith crossing grooves; a winding roll; and a support for a spindle,combined with a spindle adapted to hold a shell for the reception of thethread coming directly from the skein, and with a traverse or threadguide having a projection to enter the grooves of the drum and bereciprocated thereby, the combination being and operating, substantiallyas described.

5. A spooling machine containing the following instrnmentalities, viz:-aspindle to carry a tube; a carrier therefor; devices to rotate the saidspindle; a suitable reel or swift to hold a skein of thread; a track, acarriage adapted to slide thereon, and a slack thread trigger adapted tobe acted upon by the said carriage when the thread breaks, and stopmotion mechanism between said trigger and the device for rotating thespindle, to operate, substantially as described.

6. In a spooling machine, the track-frame,

its track and a carriage adapted to slide thereon, a stop-trigger, adrop normally heldout of operation by said stop-trigger and windingdevices; and stop mechanism between said stop-trigger and windingdevices, combined with a slack thread trigger also adapted to beoperated by the said carriage, and connecting devices between theslack-trigger and the stop-trigger, to operate, substantially asdescribed.

7. In a spooling machine, the followinginstrumentalities, viz:-a reel tohold a skein of thread, a winding drum and devices to rotate it androtate the spindle and tube to receive the thread from the said skein, atrack, a carriage adapted to be moved on said track by the thread, astop trigger located nearone end of the track, stop mechanism locatedbetween the stop-trigger and winding devices, a slacktrigger locatednear the other end of the track, and a drop and devices intermediatesaid triggers whereby the drop lever may be released when the threadceases to be delivered from the reel or when it breaks, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN W. FOSTER.

Witnesses:

A. F. LILLEY, O. G. BECKER.

